The Benefits of Antioxidant Foods

The Benefits of Antioxidant Foods

You have probably heard about Antioxidant Foods. However, do you really know what they are? Know here your benefits and what foods fall into this category.
As everything in life must be balanced. To neutralize free radicals we have a defense system, whose characteristic are the compounds called antioxidants:

The endogenous antioxidants: produced by our organism. They are enzymes made up of proteins that bind to metals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, selenium, copper to act. The most important are catalase, super oxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and others such as glutathione, urates and ubiquinol.

The exogenous antioxidants: that must be contributed by a balanced diet. Among them are vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and polyphenols, Zinc, Selenium and Manganese.

When there is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the antioxidant system we are facing what we call oxidative stress, which is necessary to avoid. This is the biochemical mechanism of chronic damage that is related to aging, cancer, immune damage and chronic diseases. Therefore, the proper choice of food is a great preventive tool, especially if accompanied by physical activity and concern for mental health.

Antioxidant Foods that contain antioxidants have multiple benefits for our health and our organism. Below we list the diseases or pathologies that these elements help to combat:

Cardiovascular diseases: Antioxidant foods contain phytosterols. Which block the absorption of cholesterol at the intestinal level and act on the cells involved in the narrowing of the arteries.

Prevent or improve neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

What foods that give us antioxidants?

There are various foods that we can incorporate into our daily diet, which provide us with antioxidants. Here we give you some of them to start consuming them:

Citrus, vegetables and raw fruits: These foods contain vitamin C, and they help in the formation of collagen and in the transmission of the nervous impulse to the muscles and organs. They also protect lipids, DNA and help regenerate the vitamin E that has been consumed.

Red, yellow and green vegetables: All these Antioxidant Foods contain such as lutein that helps maintain good vision and beta-carotene, which in the intestine is transformed into vitamin A (helps improve the immune response), among others.